State Department Due to Reply to Demand That It Report Whether Israel Has Violated U.S. Law

The State Department is expected to reply soon to a demand by Rep. Paul Findley (R. III.), that it be required to report whether Israel has violated United States law by using American equipment on its raids into Lebanon.

Findley, who is the ranking Republican on the House Foreign Affairs subcommittee on the Middle East, introduced a resolution in the House last Thursday to compel the State Department to make the report. But the House did not act on the resolution before adjourning until after Labor Day, and no other Congressman joined him in that resolution.

State Department spokesman Hodding Carter told reporters Friday that he expected that a response from the Department to Findley would be ready soon. Carter said he did not know if American weapons were used by Israeli last Thursday night when a raiding party hit two terrorist bases in the Mount Hermon area of south Lebanon.

An Israeli military spokesman said the raiding party, made up of troops of the famous Golani Brigade, hit the bases which were used by the terrorists to shell Israeli settlements. They said at least seven terrorists were killed. Lebanon said today it had complained to the United Nations Security Council about the raid. It claimed five Lebanese Communists were killed and three Palestinian terrorists wounded.

Hodding Carter in his remarks Friday reiterated that the U.S. wanted “the cycle of violence” to be ended. He said that” such developments make the establishment of peace and security in south Lebanon much more difficult.”

FINDLEY TO HELP ARAFAT’S IMAGE

Meanwhile, Findley said yesterday that Palestine Liberation Organization chief Yasir Arafat has agreed to appear on television with Findley and other American Congressmen and officials in Beirut to answer questions regarding the PLO’s positions on Middle East issues and to give Arafat an opportunity to improve his image in the U.S.

Findley, who has met twice with Arafat, said he felt Arafat’s image in the U.S. “was really pretty bad” and that he told him so. “I felt that if a more relaxed interview were held, he and his views would come through better,” the Congressman said. Findley said no date has been set for the meeting.

However, a leftwing Lebanese newspaper, Al Liwa, was reported to have said yesterday that Palestinians expect the meeting to take place soon, the Washington Post reported. Al Liwa was reported by the Post as saying “The Palestinian-American dialogue will shortly be transferred to Beirut” when Findley “flies in to meet Yasir Arafat.”